KEY POINTS:
Lance Noble has some tough decisions to make about the future racing plans of outstanding race mare Irlanda and they are decisions that would make rival professional trainers jealous.
The Matamata-based trainer was well-satisfied with the gutsy display produced by the 4-year-old at Ellerslie yesterday when fighting hard on an unsuitable track to win the $120,000 (Group Two) Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.
Irlanda sat outside the leader throughout the running of the 1400m event and fought like a class equine athlete to score by a head over the fast-closing Ististar with a further half-length back to My Hangover (third).
"She just handled that track here as she's much better when it's a lot firmer," said Noble.
"It was her class that got her home as Michael [Coleman, regular rider] told me she wasn't entirely happy on that surface.
"This mare has the ability to sprint at both ends of the race and that's something which helps her over these short distance races,"
Irlanda has been unbeaten in three race starts this season and Noble and the owners of the mare must now discuss future racing options.
"We could start her in the feature fillies and mares race at Te Rapa in three weeks time or bypass that and give her a break," Noble said. "She could then come back and race in the Telegraph Handicap, Waikato weight-for-age sprint or the big fillies and mares feature at Te Aroha."
A Group One victory would add considerable worth to Irlanda's value as a broodmare.
The equine influenza outbreak in Australia has most probably canned a possible autumn racing campaign in Sydney or Melbourne for Irlanda.
* Steven Cooper has given former Hong Kong galloper Spin Around plenty of race outings this year and that decision was vindicated with Group Two winning glory in the Counties Cup.
Spin Around, who raced under the name of Better Boy, has been busy since arriving in Cooper's Ardmore-based stable. The victory came at start number 15 from the Cooper stable and the powerful home stretch sprint indicated the 7-year-old will be a leading contender in upcoming events like the Avondale and Waikato Cups.
Jockey Gavin McKeon timed his challenge to perfection powering down the extreme outside of the track with Spin Around to hold off a determined challenge from Kerry O'Reilly to win by a long neck.
A further long neck away in third position was Ombre Rose.
With three wins and one minor placing from eight starts at Ellerslie, the gelding certainly thrives competing at the home of New Zealand racing.
Gaze lost few friends with her fighting effort to finish fourth after racing closer to the inside rail in worse footing in the home stretch.
